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The Internet is littered with promotions for "free" credit reports, and many are back-door efforts to sell credit-monitoring services and other products, according to the Federal Trade credit rating check free Bangor Commission. Last week, Experian, one credit rating check free Bangor of the three major credit-reporting agencies, agreed to pay $950,000 to settle charges that it deceived credit rating check free Bangor consumers into signing up for its credit-monitoring service by offering free credit reports. The FTC said Experian's Internet sites, www.freecreditreport.com credit rating check free Bangor and www.consumerinfo.com, failed credit rating check free Bangor to adequately disclose that consumers who ordered their credit reports would automatically be charged $79.95. The FTC also alleged that Experian sought to associate its Internet sites with the government-mandated free credit-report program. The Internet site for that program, which has been phased in across the country since December 2004, is www.annualcreditreport.com. Experian has improved disclosures on its Web sites. Now, consumers who click on credit rating check free Bangor to the sites will see a box on the first page advising them that when they credit rating check free Bangor order their free credit report, they'll be signed up for the credit-monitoring service. credit report site Experian also agreed to provide refunds to some customers. Consumers who enrolled in the credit-monitoring service from 2000 to 2003, canceled the service and disputed the charges may be eligible. If you believe you qualify for a credit rating check free Bangor refund and want more information, go credit rating check free Bangor to www.ftc.gov/freereports or call 202-326-3457. The FTC settlement with Experian doesn't resolve an ongoing problem: "impostor sites" that attempt to hijack consumers seeking to order free credit reports. These sites use misspellings and sound-alike names to misdirect consumers to sites unrelated to the government-mandated site. The FTC has sent letters to 130 impostor sites warning them that attempts to mislead consumers are illegal. credit report agencies

Researchers for the World Privacy Forum, a consumer education organization, found 112 sites in June that were using some combination or close spelling of "annual credit report." Some of the sites asked for Social Security numbers, birth dates and other sensitive information, the World Privacy Forum report said. Others directed consumers to sites that sell identity theft or other credit-related products and services, the report said. Consumers land on impostor sites in two primary ways: by mistyping the name of the official Internet site, or by using a search engine and clicking on the wrong result, the report said.

If you're planning to exercise your right to order free credit reports, there are several ways to protect yourself: Link to the legitimate site through the Federal Trade Commission's Internet site, www.ftc.gov. When you go to www.ftc.gov, you'll see two buttons that link to the official site, says Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer credit rating check free Bangor Protection.

Be wary of any site that promises a free credit report, then asks for your credit card number.

That may be an indication that you've landed on an impostor site. completely free credit report

Don't respond or reply to e-mails, pop-up ads or phone calls that claim to come from www.annualcreditreport.com or one of the credit-reporting agencies. If you're uncomfortable with Internet security, consider ordering your credit reports by phone or mail. To order by mail, print out the request form from www.annualcreditreport.com, fill it out and send it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O.

Free credit reports were mandated by a federal law enacted in 2003.